Marijuana cultivation ring busted In San Carlos Park
Three marijuana grow houses dismantled in San Carlos Park have been tied to a cultivation ring out of the Miami area.
Acting on an anonymous tip, members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Narcotics Unit and Bonita Springs Community Policing Unit conducted surveillance on several locations in San Carlos Park. Detectives then attempted to make contact with occupants residing at the locations in order to determine if they were operating as grow houses. Consent was provided for two of the locations yielding 135 plants. A search warrant was executed at a third location yielding an additional 57 plants.
The operation resulted in five arrests and the seizure of 192 plants with an approximate street value of $800,000.
Detectives were able to link the grow houses to a cultivation ring out of the Miami area. This marks the first organized ring dismantled in the San Carlos Park area.
The addresses and names of those arrested are as follows:
18227 Lowe Drive
36 plants seized
Arrested: Orlando Ramirez-Guiardo, DOB 1-14-62.
18165 Baruch Drive
99 plants seized
Arrested: Freddy Silva, DOB 4-19-79.
7254 Kumquat Road
57 plants seized
Arrested: Yudalkis Oropese, DOB 10-27-82; Yoandres Rojas DOB 11-29-69; Jose Pereda DOB 12-11-77.
All five individuals are charged with cultivation of marijuana and trafficking in marijuana.
Source: Lee County Sheriff’s Department